It didn’t take long, however, for life to throw a few curve balls my way. My schedule at the moment is even more hectic than Harry Redknapp is on Transfer Deadline Day, so fitting in training and sticking to a plan is tough.

At the end of the first week it was my stag do. I trained on the Friday morning in an attempt to limit the weekend’s damage, then headed down to Brighton where all things diet, training, and dignity went out of the window.

A broken man.

I won’t go into stacks of detail, but just to give you an idea…

2pm Beers, tequila and sambuca3pm Steak baguette5pm Beer pong with beer, champagne, Southern Comfort and Jager9pm Turned away for being too drunk10pm Let back in after a sobering chicken burger1am Home with a pizza.

The Saturday centred around vomit, and a nil-by-mouth hangover. It took until 5pm before I could handle water. Once that happened, another boozy night out followed, albeit a tamer one.

As you’d expect, Monday was a struggle.

I used the gym but it felt like I was running on empty and I couldn’t match the weights I was lifting the previous week. It’s scary how much alcohol can impact training, motivation, and mood. To top it off, I had to get a train up to Harrogate for a conference until the Wednesday. There was no gym at the hotel, so I couldn’t train on the Tuesday, but I still felt knackered too.

Thursday was the first day I felt normal after the stag do, so I made sure I grafted in the gym, and the same for Friday. It was great to be in the zone again.

Back on track? Not quite…

I’m writing this from my hotel room in Dubai – I flew out here on Easter Sunday and return home on Friday. The hotel has a gym, but it’s not great. There’s no barbells, cables, pull up bars, racks, or kettlebells, and the heaviest dumbbells are 22kg. This has meant I’ve not been able to stay 100% on plan with my training, but I’ve been doing as much as I can.

The biggest challenge while I’m away isn’t the training…it’s the diet. Breakfast and dinner are fine because I’m at the hotel, but I’m on the road from 8am to 6pm each day. Most of the day is spent in a car or on the metro.

I stocked up on protein bars before I came away, so I’ve been having one a day at about 11am. Obviously they’re not ideal, but it’s either one of those or nothing at all. It’s bad enough my customers have to see me sweating, so probably for the best that I’m not hangry too.

Lunch depends on the day’s schedule. It’s relatively easy to find healthy food in Dubai now, so that’s a bonus. Having been visiting the UAE for the last 5 years I’ve definitely noticed a shift towards healthy food options. Previously it was a fast-food-driven place.

The other challenge is drinking enough water throughout the day – something that’s so important in this 36 degree heat!

I’m looking forward to being back in the UK and training with my PT Michael, and getting both my training and diet back on track. Then the week after is the small matter of getting married…!